happy, healthy & a clear conscience

Whisker Wednesday: RIP Oliver

This post is difficult for me to write and has to do with a personal/emotional topic. I just ask that everyone reading this post takes the time to consider that all decisions that were made regarding our family pet were what we believed were best for him. Thank you in advance for this respect.

This past May my beautiful cat, named Oliver, was not feeling too well… We took him to a vet (not one that we had been to before because we recently moved) and they stated that he had probably gotten into something, like electrical wires, that he wasn’t suppose to have been eating. They didn’t take his blood and they said they would call back the next business day with results from other tests. We never heard back from them.

Frantically looking for another vet office, we found one that specializes in cats. We took him in, he was looking thinner and acting even stranger. They took blood and got back to us within 24hrs.

It wasn’t good.

Oliver was going through kidney failure and was in really bad shape. They told us our options and, in his case, the only logical (and in our opinion, ethical) thing to do was to euthanize poor sweet Oliver. This was the most devastating thing that had happened to one of my pets… He was only four years old. We had him for three of those four years, and I was away at my University for almost 80% of his time with us.

There are three parts of his death that make me upset to even think about now.

The first being his age. He was still so young. My poor poor baby 😥

The second being that I had just moved into my first “official” apartment and was about to take him, and Velvet (my other cat that I spoke about here), back into my life. My mom was moving out of state and I chose this apartment almost entirely because of the screened patios that Oliver would have just LOVED… He only lived with me in this apartment for just under a month before this all happened.

The third being that the first Vet handled this situation HORRIBLY! I can’t even imagine the pain Oliver would have been through if we didn’t change vets… UGH!

Overall, Oliver was the first pet I felt a deep deep connection with and he was taken away just when we were going to be reunited.

Since his death I have gain a greater appreciation for my cat Velvet and for everyone I love in my life. It wasn’t until this happened that I honestly realized how short life can be and how much you need to spend time with those you love. Don’t waste your beautiful life on people and things that don’t fill you with as much love and happiness as you deserve.

His passing also helped me get back on my CF journey. Oliver was a lucky cat who was greatly loved and respected. We respected him, his life and his pain.The thought that innocent animals are being tortured across the world every single day for the sake of beauty/lifestyle/etc. products and are denied the right to be placed in loving/nurturing and/or natural environments is disgusting. Every animal (including Humans) deserve respect and love.

I am happy for the time I had with Oliver. He really changed my life for the better and made me look at the world in a different way.

Rest easy my little smoosh ❤ We miss and love you everyday… even Velvet, who didn’t want you to know how much she needed you when you were still with us.

I’m sorry for such a heavy topic this Whisker Wednesday. Next week’s won’t be sad, I promise 🙂

Thank you so much for your kind words ❤ It was a difficult time in our lives (still is) but at least he had the best three years with us 🙂 He was a lucky cat and we were even more lucky to have had him for the time we did ❤ ❤

I’m really sorry for your loss. Even if it was short, if you cherish the time you had together, and know that he was blessed because you helped love him and take care of him, that should help you get through the hard times.

I’m so sorry for your loss. Saying goodbye is one of the hardest things to do and the healing process takes time. I’m sure he had a happy life, surrounded by loving and caring people, and you will always remember the time you spend with him.

Awh I just came across your post! I’ve been through this experience with my childhood pet and it is gut wrenching. She was 12 and passed away from kidney failure as well. It’s such a sad experience but just know you gave Oliver an amazing life filled with love and care, and ultimately you made a decision that was best for him, and for that you are so strong and so loving. You’ll be in my thoughts!